Making politicians and media accountable to ordinary citizens since 2000.
Home | Unconservative Listening | Links | Contribute | About
Join the Mailing List | Contact Caro
3/10/08
|
T-Shirts, Tiles
and
Now Affliiated With
Buy the items
|
Top Story
US fails a fourth time to hit al-Qa'ida suspect in Somalia
A US missile
strike in Somalia, aimed at a man described by the Pentagon as a "known al-Qa'ida
terrorist", succeeded only in hurting six civilians and killing three cows and a
calf, the IoS has learned.
The Republicans
lambasted Bill Clinton for a bombing in Sudan, claiming he had only hit an
aspirin factory. But they’re strangely silent about Bush’s hitting civilians
and cows in Somalia.
The World
Woman suicide bomber kills 4 in Iraq's Diyala
A woman suicide
bomber blew herself up outside the house of a tribal leader in Diyala provincein
northeast of Baghdad
on Monday, killing him and three others, aprovincial police source said.
Mass grave containing 100 bodies found in Iraq
Iraqi security
forces found a mass grave containing about 100 bodies in the volatile Diyala
province, the U.S.
military said on Saturday.
Israel reduces activity in Gaza Strip
JERUSALEM -
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has instructed the army to halt air strikes
and raids into the Gaza Strip in response to a serious drop in rocket fire from
the territory, officials in his office said Monday.
Pakistan's victors form government, vow reforms
ISLAMABAD —
Pakistan's opposition, victors in the elections last month, agreed to form a
government Sunday and directly challenged the country's US-backed president,
Pervez Musharraf, by pledging to restore the senior judiciary that he had
sacked. In a break-through, the Pakistan People's Party, led by Benazir Bhutto's
widower Asif Zardari, and the Pakistan Muslim League-N, headed by former Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif, agreed to share power in a coalition. No single party
emerged with a majority in the parliamentary election on Feb. 18. Three tense
weeks followed, in which it looked as if Zardari and Sharif may not be able to
work together.
Pakistan's Musharraf won't quit: ally
ISLAMABAD (AFP) -
President Pervez Musharraf does not intend to quit, an ally said Monday after
Pakistan's main opposition parties agreed to form a coalition and restore judges
who could threaten his grip on power.
Envoy meets democracy leader in Myanmar
YANGON, Myanmar -
The U.N.'s special envoy to Myanmar met detained opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi on Monday before wrapping up his latest trip to the military-ruled country,
a visit marred by the junta chief's refusal to meet him.
China foils attempted terror attack on flight
China
has foiled an attempt to crash a passenger jet en route to
Beijing
and the aircraft made a safe emergency landing, a senior official said, in what
state media called an attempted terrorist attack.
China to stick with one-child policy
BEIJING (AFP) -
China will keep its controversial one-child policy unchanged for at least 10
years, the country's family planning chief was quoted as saying Monday, amid a
government debate over easing the controls.
Philippine court acquits Imelda Marcos
MANILA,
Philippines - A Manila court Monday acquitted the flamboyant widow of late
dictator Ferdinand Marcos of 32 counts of illegally transferring wealth abroad
during her husband's 20-year rule.
Venezuela reopening embassy in Colombia
CARACAS,
Venezuela - Venezuela said Sunday that it was restoring full diplomatic ties
with Colombia that were broken off in a regional crisis sparked by a
cross-border Colombian attack on a leftist rebel camp in Ecuador.
Phone led US experts to Farc leader
The top Colombian
Marxist rebel leader killed in a jungle air strike last week was tricked into
using a satellite phone tracked by American experts, The Sunday Telegraph has
learned.
New docs detail Colombian rebel ties
BOGOTA, Colombia
- Newly published documents released by
Colombia's
security forces claim the leftist presidents of
Venezuela
and Ecuador conspired for months with rebel insurgents who seek to overthrow the
country's U.S.-allied government.
They’d better be
more convincing than the
old documents.
Why were Mexican students at rebel camp in Ecuador?
MEXICO CITY — At
least five Mexican nationals were present at a rebel camp where a top insurgent
commander was killed last weekend in Ecuador, leaving Mexicans to speculate on
why they were there…Their presence added to questions of a possible link between
FARC and a spate of pipeline bombings in Mexico last year that cut off fuel
supplies to major industrial operations.
'Dirty bomb' threat as UK ships plutonium to France
Weapons-ready
plutonium that terrorists could easily make into a nuclear bomb is to be carried
hundreds of miles down the west coast of Britain in an unarmed ship, The
Independent on Sunday can reveal.
Islamist sleeper cell in Scotland Yard: report
Scotland Yard
refuses to comment on a report from The News of the World that an al-Qaeda
sleeper cell has infiltrated
London's
Metropolitan Police headquarters.
MPs demand torture flights inquiry
MPs and human
rights groups yesterday demanded an independent inquiry into the use of UK
territory by CIA "torture flights" as fresh questions emerged over the
government's handling of the issue.
Socialists Win Spanish Election, Retaining Power
Spain’s ruling
Socialists triumphed in a national election on Sunday, giving Prime Minister
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero a fresh mandate to pursue his agenda of sweeping
social and political liberalization.
Serbia to dissolve parliament, call new vote
BELGRADE (AFP) -
Serbia's government was to meet Monday to formally propose the parliament's
dissolution and new elections following a rift over breakaway Kosovo and EU
integration.
Morocco arrests 44 members of Islamist opposition
RABAT (Reuters) -
Moroccan security forces arrested 44 members of the country's largest Islamic
opposition group over the weekend after it tried to hold marches in solidarity
with the Palestinians, the government said.
The Nation
US: recent Iraq attacks not a trend
BAGHDAD - The
U.S. military said Sunday it does not believe a recent wave of deadly attacks in
Baghdad reflects a trend toward an overall increase in violence.
Don’t believe
your lyin’ eyes.
Studies: Iraq costs US $12B per month
The flow of blood
may be ebbing, but the flood of money into the Iraq war is steadily rising, new
analyses show. In 2008, its sixth year, the war will cost approximately $12
billion a month, triple the "burn" rate of its earliest years, Nobel
Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and co-author Linda J. Bilmes report
in a new book.
Senators: Where is Iraq's oil money going?
Two senators are
asking congressional investigators to look at Iraq's oil revenues and see if the
war-ravaged nation can pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been
bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers.
KBR Named In Report On Soldier Illnesses
Dozens of U.S.
troops in Iraq
fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by
the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former
company, the Pentagon said.
Democrats criticize Bush's CIA-bill veto
WASHINGTON
- Democrats and human rights advocates criticized President Bush's veto Saturday
of a bill that would have banned the CIA from using simulated drowning and other
coercive interrogation methods to gain information from suspected terrorists.
Reaction to Bush's veto of torture bill
Reaction to
President Bush's veto Saturday of legislation that would have banned the CIA
from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected
terrorists. Bush said the bill would have ended practices that have prevented
attacks.
They knew, but did nothing
It would later be
revealed by the 9/11 commission into the September 11 attacks that more than 40
presidential briefings presented to George W. Bush from January 2001 through to
September 10, 2001,
included references to Osama bin Laden. And nearly identical intelligence landed
each morning on the desks of about 300 other senior national security officials
and members of Congress in the form of the senior executive intelligence brief,
a newsletter on intelligence issues also prepared by the CIA.
Obama wins in Wyoming, adds 7 delegates
CASPER, Wyo. -
Sen. Barack Obama captured the Wyoming Democratic caucuses Saturday, seizing a
bit of momentum in the close, hard-fought race with rival Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton for the party's presidential nomination… Obama won seven delegates and
Clinton
won five. In the overall race for the nomination, Obama led 1,578-1,468,
according to the latest tally by The Associated Press. It will take 2,025
delegates to win the Democratic nomination.
Reba Shimansky’s
analysis:
Obama`s [w]in
Wyoming and probable win in Mississippi does not mean that Obama has regained
his momentum.
• Wyoming has 12 delegates, 3 electoral votes and has not voted for a democratic in a presidential elections since 1964.
• Mississippi has 33 delegates, 6 electoral votes and has not voted for a democrat in a presidential elections since FDR.
• Pennsylvania has 158 delegates, 23 electoral votes and voted for Kerry in 2004.
Again Obama shows that he can only win small red states with few electoral votes and who will never vote for a democrat in the national election. If Obama is the nominee he will not be able to carry some of the big swing states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania.
ARG Poll: Clinton Holds Big Lead in Pennsylvania
A new American
Research Group poll in
Pennsylvania
shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading Sen. Barack Obama, 52% to 41%. Key findings:
Obama leads among men 59% to 38% and Clinton leads among women 63% to 27%.
Clinton leads among white voters 63% to 29% and Obama leads among African
American voters 89% to 7%.
Support builds for Florida mail-in primary
A consensus began
to emerge that the best way to give Florida's Democrats a voice in electing a
candidate for president lies with the mail.
Rookie congressman: Win sends message
CHICAGO - A day
after snagging former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert's congressional
seat in a special election, Democrat Bill Foster knew Sunday he didn't have much
time to savor the victory.
McCain competes for money, spotlight
PHOENIX - John
McCain sees one downside to having clinched the Republican presidential
nomination: There's less attention focused on him than on the volatile contest
between Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
Bushies push Romney as VP.
(Think Progress)
Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard reports that President Bush favors former
Massachusetts
governor Mitt Romney as Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) running mate, as does Jeb
Bush, who “preferred Romney over McCain in the primaries.” Bill Kristol also
recently stated that “Mitt Romney would be good,” adding that he “vetted the
idea with former White House aide Karl Rove.”
Assembly Passes Bill to Allow 'No Child' Opt-Out
Virginia's Board
of Education would be directed to recommend whether the state should pull out of
a federal school accountability system under legislation that cleared the
General Assembly Saturday.
Economy & Finance
Stocks head for flat opening
NEW YORK
- Wall Street headed toward a flat opening Monday as investors smarting from a
pummeling last week sifted through mixed reports on how companies are handling a
slumping economy and tight credit markets.
Gas prices up 9 cents from 2 weeks ago
CAMARILLO, Calif.
- A survey says the national average price for gasoline rose 9 cents over the
last two weeks.
New 'super-spike' might mean $200 a barrel oil
With
$100-a-barrel here for now, Goldman Sachs says $200 a barrel could be a reality
in the not-too-distant future in the case of a "major disruption"
Weak dollar compounds problem of increasing food prices
(by Chris in Paris at AMERICAblog)
The next time Bernanke or anyone else says the weak dollar means nothing at
home, think again. Besides contributing to the runaway gas prices, it also means
that food staples are even cheaper than before for export markets. As the
economies of India
and China increase, they have more cash to buy cheap American corn, wheat, beef,
etc and that means competition. Competition means higher prices. Add to that the
inflated gas prices for corporate farming and transport and you have price
increases at the grocery store not seen since the 1970s. The odds of McCain or
Republicans disrupting the system they built stand somewhere between slim and
nil.
Sharp Drop in Jobs Adds to Grim Economic Picture
WASHINGTON — The
worst fears of consumers, investors and Washington officials were confirmed on
Friday, as deepening paralysis on Wall Street collided with stark new evidence
of falling employment and a likely recession.
Banks face "systemic margin call," $325 billion hit: JPM
Wall Street banks
are facing a "systemic margin call" that may deplete banks of $325 billion of
capital due to deteriorating subprime U.S. mortgages, JPMorgan Chase & Co, said
in a report late on Friday.
FDIC reports second bank failure of 2008
A second bank has
failed this year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Friday. The FDIC and
the Commissioner of Missouri's Division of Finance closed Hume Bank in Hume,
Mo., on Friday, the federal banking regulator announced.
Crime pays for US prison companies
Financiers,
real-estate agents and car salesmen might be suffering from America's economic
malaise, but bulging jails have triggered a profit boom for corrections
companies.
Black farmers work to keep land with co-ops
An effort to help
people hold on to their property and build an economy intends to teach people to
pool resources in traditional farming cooperatives. Farmers would grow crops
that tap the demand for organic food and alternative fuel production.
Big Business's Big Term
(by Doug Kendall, Slate)
Thirty-seven years ago, future Justice Lewis Powell, then a lawyer in private
practice, penned a now-famous memorandum alerting the Chamber of Commerce to a
"neglected opportunity in the courts." Powell explained that "the judiciary may
be the most important instrument for social, economic and political change," and
he urged the chamber and its corporate benefactors to invest heavily in this
"vast area of opportunity." In the wake of Powell's memo, the business community
seeded a vast body of scholarship and created a nationwide network of
pro-business legal organizations. This investment has quietly borne fruit for
decades—and, this term in particular, landed corporate America the wins that
thrilled Conrad, and more besides.
The Powell memo
was the start of the right-wing takeover of America.
Media
Permanent link to MTA daily media news
NO TORTURE. NO EXCEPTIONS....
(by Kevin Drum at Political Animal, The Washington Monthly)
The latest issue of the Monthly is devoted to a single subject: torture. An
editors' note explains: “In most issues of the Washington Monthly, we favor
articles that we hope will launch a debate. In this issue we seek to end one.
The unifying message of the articles that follow is, simply, Stop.” What follows
is a set of 37 short essays by writers from all over the political spectrum,
from Bob Barr on the right to Nancy Pelosi and Jimmy Carter on the left.
Ugly coverage
(by Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)
The media narrative for this next phase of the Democratic campaign is now set,
as firmly as if the top players had secretly hammered out a memo over drinks at
the Palm. Hint: It's not, what a great race! Nor is it, what a remarkable
comeback for Hillary Clinton! Or even, I always wanted to cover a
Puerto Rico primary! No, the
plot line is that Hillary went "negative," thereby extending the race, screwing
up our vacation plans, boring America to death and--this is the important
part--sending the Democratic Party to the very gates of hell.
Bob Schieffer Commentary: The Politics Of Name Calling
(by Logan Murphy at Crooks and Liars)
In light of this week’s resignation of Obama adviser, Samantha Power, for
calling Hillary Clinton a monster, Face The Nation host, Bob Schieffer, decided
to chime in on the history of name calling in politics… Schieffer: “…But here’s
the other side. Creative name calling is as much a part of American politics as
waving Old Glory. Back in 1952 when Harry Truman called Republicans a bunch of
Snollygusters, it set off such a shock wave that my late colleague, Eric
Sevareid, thought it necessary to counsel calmness. After all he said, Truman’s
remark wasn’t nearly as bad as when President McKinley’s opponents said he had
the backbone of a chocolate eclair.”
Click through to
watch the video.
Hillary and the Invisible Women
(by Tina Brown, Newsweek, thanks to
Taylor Marsh)
Much has been written about how boomer women have rallied to Hillary's cause
(she won an impressive 67 percent of the white women voting in Ohio; they were
44 percent of the total). It's fashionable to write off this core element of her
base as rabid paleo-feminists fighting the tired old gender wars of the past.
But Hillary's appeal to the boomer gals is wider and deeper than that. Cynthia
Ruccia, a grass-roots political organizer in Columbus, told me that in these
last beleaguered weeks, women started showing up in waves at Clinton
headquarters—women who told her they had never volunteered in a campaign before.
"There was just an outpouring about the way she was being treated by the media,"
Ruccia said. "It was something we hadn't seen in a long time. We all felt, as
women, we had made a lot of progress, and we saw this as an attack of misogyny
that was trying to beat her down." It's a revolt that has been overdue for a
while and has now found its focus in Clinton's candidacy.
And there’s
nothing that inflames us female Clinton supporters more than the kind of
dismissal shown below. Keep it up, Obama supporters, you create new Clinton
supporters every single time you treat her with contempt.
Daschle: First lady experience doesn’t count for Clinton
(The Hill)
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) on Sunday questioned Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (N.Y.) pitching of herself as the most experienced
candidate in the Democratic presidential race, suggesting her years as first
lady do not add much to her foreign policy credentials.
Thin Skinned Obama Fans
(by Larry Johnson at No Quarter)
[S]top bitching about Hillary raising legitimate questions about Barack’s
experience and judgment. Those are valid points worth debating. If nothing
else, it gives Barack and his group of advisers a chance to hone their message.
Because you can count on this–come September the Republicans and their 527
allies will pound the dogshit out of him… Hillary Clinton … has several things
in her favor that Barack cannot begin to achieve. She has traveled extensively
overseas and she has represented the U.S. Government in official diplomatic
exchanges. While these were not negotiations with North Korea or the
Palestinians, it still put her in the position of understanding how to interact
appropriately in a foreign environment and make an effective case… Hillary
Clinton, whatever faults you want to focus on, understands the bureaucracies and
understands the infighting that inevitably accompanies the task of governing…
[This] is critical experience that someone who aspires to be an effective
President must have.
Was There an Obama-Daley Deal on the Presidency?
(by Rick Moran at PoliGazette)
[W]hat led Mayor Daley, normally reluctant to endorse a presidential candidate
in the primaries, to give the nod to Obama?... In effect, Obama surrendered to
the Machine by promising to endorse its corrupt mayor rather than his reform
minded challenger… That’s not all. A couple of months later, Obama endorsed
another crook from the Machine… This behavior is not unusual for Obama if you
examine the record… Obama’s political career is replete with examples of
opportunism, cynical deal making, hack politics, and business as usual
relationships with crooks and scam artists like Tony Rezko. His entire
presidential campaign is built on a lie; that he is a different kind of
politician and will be able to change the way business is done in Washington.
Chicago Way the only way to settle Obama-Clinton tiff
(by John Kass, Chicago Tribune)
All Barack and Hillary have to do is hold a news conference in Chicago's federal
building on Monday and make a political promise by repeating the following: "If
elected president, I (Hillary/ Barack) promise to retain Patrick Fitzgerald as
the federal prosecutor here and give him more FBI and IRS help, and more
wiretaps, to fight political corruption in Illinois." With [Obama fundraiser
Tony] Rezko on trial, and other Illinois Democrats under investigation, Obama
must be unequivocal about Fitzgerald's future in an Obama administration.
Clinton
can prove she, unlike her husband, would not hold the federal prosecutor's job
out to the Daleys as some oily peace offering. Fitzgerald can place laurel
wreaths on their heads, in symbolic approval of this newly civil union. And how
would we know they're telling the truth? When the Daley boys faint and drop
their flower baskets, the petals flying like confetti among the tears -- then
you'd know, the Chicago Way.
Hannity: Like a Dog With a Bone
(by SusanUnPC at No Quarter)
Sean Hannity has been pounding the connection of Barack Obama to William Ayers,
every day, five or more times per show, six days a week, since February (at
least)… You can expect Sean Hannity to keep asking many of his guests about
William Ayers and Barack Obama. He’s got his teeth into the matter, and he won’t
let go. Soon enough, if not already, regular watchers of Fox News will associate
Barack Obama with a violent terrorist group whose leader got away with terrible
crimes. How will Obama’s campaign unring that bell?
Congressman Rips Obama -- But AP Leaves Out a Lot
The Associated
Press reports today that an Iowa Republican congressman said Friday that
terrorists would be "dancing in the streets" if Democratic candidate Barack
Obama were to win the presidency. But it was worse than that.
Sure, Obama's a smart, sweet guy — but can he fight?
(by Margaret Talev and Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers)
WASHINGTON — Can
Barack Obama take a punch? Can he throw one? Will he fight back when sweet
reason doesn't work? Can he plunge into a smack-down without endangering the
image he's crafted as the avatar of a kinder, gentler politics that unites
rather than divides? Obama's quest for the Democratic presidential nomination
may depend in part on how he answers those questions as he responds to Hillary
Clinton's revitalized campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Clinton thinks combat politics is "fun," and often boasts of her ability to
"fight the Republican attack machine." Obama also faces rougher treatment from
Republican John McCain and a political press corps that feels burned by the
Obama campaign's misleading denials of a recent meeting with Canadian officials.
Obama Statement on Bush Torture Bill Veto
(posted at The Page, Time Magazine)
“We need a Commander in Chief who has never wavered on whether or not it is
acceptable for
America to torture,
because it is never acceptable. While I have consistently opposed torture, in
the course of this primary campaign Hillary Clinton has flip-flopped from her
past position of tolerating torture. I believe that we must reject torture
without equivocation because it does not make us safe, it results in unreliable
intelligence, it puts our troops at risk, and it contradicts core American
values. When I am President, the American people and the world will be able to
trust that I will outlaw torture, because unlike Senator Clinton I have never
made an exception for torture and I never will.”
The problem is
that
Clinton hasn’t made an exception for torture. Where’s the outrage, Obama
fans? You get furious when someone tells you Clinton has lied about Obama, even
if it’s not true.
They must go for Hillary Clinton
(by Anatole Kaletsky, London Times)
After Tuesday's Ohio
and Texas primaries,
Barack Obama remains the firm favourite to win the Democratic nomination. But
Hillary Clinton now seems more likely than Mr Obama to become the next president
of the United States. In stating this paradox, I am not imagining some
outlandish scenario, such as Mrs Clinton flouncing off and winning the
presidency as an independent. All I am saying is that Mr Obama is much more
likely than Mrs Clinton to be defeated by John McCain.
Kaletsky gives
three reasons why Clinton is likely to prevail: Women are more than half of the
electorate and are voting for her, she’s better on the issues for what Americans
want, and she is the better Democratic candidate to face John McCain.
Hillary Clinton sets her sights on three ways to win
(London Times)
Clinton aims to win the popular vote, secure reruns in
Florida
and Michigan and undermine Obama's credibility as the candidate to beat McCain
My message to former Senator Bill Bradley regarding comments he made in the above article:
"'She’s [Clinton] going to lose a whole generation of people who got involved in politics believing it could be something different.'"
Your comment that CLINTON will drive away a whole new generation from the Democratic Party is ludicrous. The young people will be driven away no matter what happens, because they were lured in with false promises. If Obama wins the primary, he's very likely to lose to John McCain. But if by some chance he does get elected, he won't do much. He never has.
He talks a good game, but he hasn't accomplished much. He's always too busy running for his next job. Which will be what, if he becomes president?
"Bradley believes that Clinton will stop at nothing to tear down Obama even if it boosts John McCain... 'They’re total tacticians and right now their focus is on Obama, not McCain.'"
OF COURSE Clinton's focus is on Obama. It's still the primary. Don't you remember what that's like? But if anyone destroys Obama's chances against McCain, it will be Obama himself, with his thin record of accomplishments, his waffling on important issues, his unwillingness to stand up for principle, his shady associations, and especially his complete lack of any kind of exposure to foreign policy issues.
George Bush needs to keep himself out of prison. That is less likely with a Democrat as president, and he will use every organ and function of government to make sure McCain wins in November. We need a fighter like Clinton to counter that coming onslaught.
Otherwise, we lose the Supreme Court for at least a generation.
Bushies for McCain.
(Think Progress)
The Politico reports that several of President Bush’s former advisers are now
“informally advising” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): “Ken Mehlman, who ran Bush’s 2004
campaign, is now serving as an unpaid, outside adviser to the Arizona
Republican. Karl Rove, the president’s top political hand since his Texas days,
recently gave money to McCain and soon after had a private conversation with the
senator. A top McCain adviser said both Mehlman and Rove are now informally
advising the campaign.” McCain has also lined up several of Bush’s top
fundraisers in recent weeks.
We need the
toughest fighter we have to counter McCain. He has the entire workings of
government and almost the entire corporate media (see below) on his side.
The media's hero
(by Jamison Foser at Media Matters)
In the past week, The New York Times has described John McCain as "a Vietnam
hero and national security pro." The Associated Press has referred to McCain's
"Vietnam War-hero biography" [etc., etc.]… If this is going to be how the media
cover this campaign -- invoking McCain's status as a war hero every time anyone
dares criticizes him, or even hints at criticism of him, or even might have
hinted at criticism of him -- they may as well just start wearing "McCain For
President" buttons on their lapels and drop the charade that they are anything
but in the tank for him.
Content Of Their Characters
(by digby)
CNN reports: “…Ballot initiatives have been proposed in Arizona, Colorado,
Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma that would give voters the chance to decide
whether they want to do away with affirmative action in government-funded
projects and public schools…” Hmmm. Why do you suppose they chose those states?
I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact they are big swing states with
large minority populations aren't you? I wrote earlier about how the Republicans
are going take advantage of the zeitgeist to position Maverick McCain as the
real post-partisan. (The Democrats you see, are playing the same old tired
identity politics of the past, while the rich, white, war hero Republican has
risen above all that to reach across the aisle many times --- often angering his
own party --- to put his country before petty partisan concerns.) By urging
equality for all people instead of just the favored minorities, the
conservatives are ones who are truly transformational… By putting such issues on
the ballot, they are giving people of good character a way to move past all
these phony racial and partisan divisions and transform our politics. Yes they
can.
Ex-Defense Official Assails Colleagues Over Run-Up to War
(Washington Post)
In the first insider account of Pentagon decision-making on Iraq, one of the key
architects of the war blasts former secretary of state Colin Powell, the CIA,
retired Gen. Tommy R. Franks and former Iraq occupation chief L. Paul Bremer for
mishandling the run-up to the invasion and the subsequent occupation of the
country. Douglas J. Feith, in a massive score-settling work, portrays an
intelligence community and a State Department that repeatedly undermined plans
he developed as undersecretary of defense for policy and conspired to undercut
President Bush's policies… [T]he book does not address some of the basic facts
of the war, such as the widespread skepticism inside the top of the U.S.
military about invading Iraq, with some generals arguing that doing so would
distract attention from the war against global terrorists.
Wikipedia documents that Bob Woodward, in Plan of Attack, quotes Tommy
Franks as calling Feith “the stupidest fucking guy on the planet.”
Turning the Page: ‘The Man Who Pushed America to War’
(Muckraked!)
[T]he full story of one key player [in the Iraq War], Ahmad Chalabi, has
yet to be told. The legendary conman and disgraced war cheerleader gets his due
in Aram Roston’s “The Man Who Pushed America to War: The Extraordinary Life,
Adventures and Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi.” Among the revelations: - One of
his key backers has been John McCain, who was one of the first patrons of
Chalabi’s grand-sounding International Committee for a Free Iraq when it was
founded in 1991. [Emphasis added.]
Bozell Ignores Iraq War, Falsely Claims Clinton ‘Devastated’ The ‘Military
Infrastructure’
(Think Progress)
In the Washington Post today, Brent Bozell, the president of the conservative
Media Research Center, argues that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “may have the Beltway
crowd in his corner, but grass-roots conservatives aren’t sold.” Claiming that
McCain “is the one who arguably least qualifies as a Reagan conservative,”
Bozell suggests ways that the Arizona senator can motivate the conservative
movement. But in making his argument, Bozell falsely claims that it was the
Clinton
administration, not the Bush administration, that created the current strains on
the “military infrastructure“:
Tucker Canceled; Other Programming Changes Ahead
Insiders tell TVNewser Tucker Carlson's 6pmET show Tucker is getting the axe,
but Carlson stays on as a political contributor to all MSNBC shows at least
through the 2008 election. The official announcement, expected tomorrow, will
include details about who will replace Tucker at 6pmET as well as other
political programming additions. Sources say the network is going to beef up its
schedule with more NBC News talent.
Face Slap or Punch to the Head?
(by Dean Baker)
Paul Krugman has the basic story of the financial meltdown right, but he would
still like to see the Fed come to the rescue, even if it means handing over
hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to the world's richest people. I have
a hard time following the logic… We have too many custodians and waitresses who
can't afford health care or child care for their kids, or to take a sick day
from work, to rain hundreds of billions on the Wall Street crew who have yachts,
vacation homes, nannies for their kids and teams of personal servants. These
people and the institutions they run must be forced to pay the price for their
own stupidity and the damage they have done to the economy.
Media Matters for America headlines
Nieman Foundation announces creation of new award for journalistic independence
NEW YORK The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at
Harvard University announced
the creation of a new award, the I.F. Stone Medal honoring journalistic
independence. The Medal will be presented annually to a journalist whose work
embodies the independence and integrity of I.F. Stone Weekly, which ran from
1953-1971. The award is named in honor I.F. Stone, a journalist who fought for
press independence and dissent as an important facet of democracy.
Journalism in the Hands of the Neighborhood
The Knight
Foundation in Miami
is donating $25 million over five years “for innovative ideas using digital
experiments to transform community news.”
Literary Frauds Strike Again ... and Again
(by John Dolan, AlterNet)
A Valley Girl masquerades as an L.A. gangster and a Catholic woman says she's a
Jew raised by wolves. Why do people keep falling for such frauds?
Reporter's lawyers seek to delay fines
WASHINGTON —
Attorneys for a former USA TODAY reporter plan to ask a federal appeals court
today to suspend the payment of thousands of dollars in fines imposed for
failing to identify sources who named former Army scientist Steven Hatfill as a
possible suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks.The emergency request to the U.S.
Court of Appeals comes after a federal judge late Friday night ordered Toni Locy
to begin paying fines of up to $5,000 per day out of her own pocket so long as
she refuses to identify her sources.
MediaNews papers avoid layoffs as 107 staffers take buyouts
The staff
reductions are at the Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, and other papers are
operated by Bay
Area
News
Group-East
Bay,
a MediaNews division.
Cartoonist: Newspapers have changed our job description
"Before, the rule
was to editorialize and provoke," says editorial cartoonist Milt Priggee. "Now
it's to address and entertain. Don't take a position, don't editorialize, don't
create any grief." The Houston Chronicle's Nick Anderson adds: "What you see
printed in national editions is definitely watered down and safe. But that
doesn't mean there isn't a lot of good, pointed commentary going on."
Pfizer sues NEJM to stop confidential peer review
(by Chris in Paris at AMERICAblog)
Pfizer is now suing the New England Journal of Medicine to reveal their
confidential reviewers. Pfizer wants to break the long respected confidential
peer review process that has helped raise questions when others were afraid to
speak out. The US courts are due to rule on this case later in the week and
despite the obvious blow to confidential peer review, this also once again shows
that it's not just consumers who are launching lawsuits, driving up costs.
Corporations
control the media. They control the government and the courts. Now they want
to control the scientific process. That’s not good, friends.
Atlantic Assures Fans It Hasn't Sold Its Soul
Britney Cover Is
Relevant to Venerable Title's New Aims -- a Hoped-for Return to Profitability
Giving the Outsiders a Say on Movies
The idea behind a
new Web site, Massify.com, is to give film enthusiasts a vote on which films are
made in the first place.
Reruns Go From Déjà Vu to New
Networks Keep
Viewer Attention by Adding Extra Features to Rerun Episodes
Fox Web site rocks as "Idol" returns
NEW YORK
(Hollywood Reporter) - The midseason return of "American Idol" helped double Fox
Broadcasting's online traffic in January compared with December.
MobiTV Seeks to Shut Down Web Forum
NEW YORK
(AP) - MobiTV Inc., which provides TV services on Sprint Nextel Corp. cell
phones, is trying to shut down a Web forum that is carrying instructions on how
to get access to its channels for free.
Kentucky Lawmaker Wants to Make Anonymous Internet Posting Illegal
Kentucky
Representative Tim Couch filed a bill this week to make anonymous posting online
illegal. The bill would require anyone who contributes to a website to register
their real name, address and e-mail address with that site. Their full name
would be used anytime a comment is posted.
Girls In US And UK Command Remarkable Web Usage Numbers
(by Paul Glazowski at Mashable)
Found in Sunday’s edition of The Times of London …documents a trend of
increasing Web adoption among girls and young women in both the US and UK. This
finding does not only pertain to blogging. It includes most all common and
habitual tasks: shopping, social networking, referencing educational material,
etc. This transition to a Web populated with an increasingly active female
usership is undoubtedly directly related to the advent of intuitive, easy-to-use
software.
In the comments,
Glazowski points out that he’s not saying girls CAN’T master more complex
technology, just that they don’t seem to be as interested in doing so as boys.
To Aim Ads, Web Is Keeping Closer Eye on What You Click
A new analysis of
online consumer data shows that large Web companies are learning more about
people than ever from what they search for and do on the Internet.
Google Growth In Europe Outpacing The US
(by Sean P. Aune at Mashable)
Henry Blodget of Silicon Valley Insider earlier today ran a report showing that
Google’s advertising returns for the US market are slowing, while Google in
Europe is continuing to surge.
Cable Firms Join Forces to Attract Focused Ads
In an effort to slow Google’s siphoning of advertising dollars away from
television, the nation’s six largest cable companies are making plans for a
jointly owned company that would allow national advertisers to buy customized
ads and interactive ads across the companies’ systems.
Technology & Science
They Criticized Vista. And They Should Know.
One year after
the birth of Windows Vista, why do so many Windows XP users still decline to
“upgrade”?.
Who needs IT experts? Workers take control
SAN FRANCISCO
(Reuters) - Savvy office workers frustrated that their on-the-job computer tools
don't function as smoothly as, say, an Apple iPod are taking matters into their
own hands.
This had to start
happening. Most IT departments are understaffed and the staff they do have tend
to be nerds, rather than people who understand the business aspect of their
work.
Text Generation Gap: U R 2 Old (JK)
Children
increasingly rely on personal technological devices to create social circles
apart from their families, changing the way they communicate with their parents.
Study: Girls like science and math
Girls like
writing and reading; boys like math and science. At least that's the stereotype.
But a new survey shows that girls in elementary school actually like math and
science better than language arts.
Aggression on Job More Harmful Than Sexual Harassment
Study finds
bullied workers had more stress, less commitment and higher levels of anxiety
New Patentable Idea: A Way to Invalidate Vague Patents
A federal appeals
court has agreed to hear a patent case that may invalidate a controversial class
of patents called business method patents, which seek to protect ways of doing
business.
Black Hole Effect Created in Lab
The mysterious
properties of black holes can be recreated on a tabletop, scientists now reveal.
Solving mysteries concerning black holes could yield key clues toward a "theory
of everything" that unites how we conceive of all the natural forces.
Electronic Structure Of DNA Revealed For First Time
ScienceDaily
(Mar. 10, 2008) — Utilizing a technique that combines low temperature
measurements and theoretical calculations, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
scientists and others have revealed for the first time the electronic structure
of single DNA molecules.
New Composite Material Is Almost Better Than Mother-of-pearl
ScienceDaily
(Mar. 10, 2008) — Researchers in ETH
Zurich’s
Department of Materials (D-MATL) have developed a new nacre-like composite that
is twice the strength of naturally-occuring mother-of-pearl. Stronger ceramic
platelets combined with ductile biopolymer Chitosan have created composites
capable of withstanding a deformation of 25% before rupturing.
Britain makes camera that "sees" under clothes
LONDON (Reuters)
- A British company has developed a camera that can detect weapons, drugs or
explosives hidden under people's clothes from up to 25 meters away in what could
be a breakthrough for the security industry.
Insect 'spies' fitted with video camera implants
Scientists are
creating real-life "flies-on-the-walls" by fitting insects with special implants
that enable them to be used as spies. The creatures are being installed with
special electrodes, batteries and even video cameras that enable them to be
remote-controlled and used for surveillance.
Group Calls for Cell Phone Marketing Ban
Driven by a lack
of knowledge over the long-term health effects of mobile phone use, parent
groups in Europe have called for a ban on marketing cell phones to children.
Food Compounds That Kill Test-Tube Cancer Cells Analyzed
ScienceDaily
(Mar. 10, 2008) — Strawberries, grapes, blueberries and some familiar seasonings
like rosemary contain compounds that can—in test tubes—kill cells of a childhood
cancer.
Even in Middle Age, Starting to Drink May Lower Heart Risks
Wine is better
than liquor, study says; a healthy lifestyle is even better, doctor adds.
Vaccine Could One Day Control High Blood Pressure
Preliminary study
results encouraging; it would only be needed a few times a year
Yoga Eases Menopause Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors
Improvement after
breathing, stretching program still evident 3 months later, study finds
Broccoli May Help Boost Aging Immune System
ScienceDaily
(Mar. 10, 2008) — Eat your broccoli! That's the advice from UCLA researchers who
have found that a chemical in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may hold
a key to restoring the body's immunity, which declines as we age.
Scientists Engineer Protein That Could Battle Strep
California
team's discovery may lead to a vaccine that wards off infections
Archaeologists dig up medieval kitchen in Rome
A sixth-century
copper factory, medieval kitchens still stocked with pots and pans and remains
of Renaissance palaces are among the finds unveiled Friday by archaeologists
digging up Rome
in preparation for a new subway line.
Grand Canyon Still Grand but Older
Coming upon the
Grand Canyon long ago, an old prospector is supposed to have said in amazement,
“Something awful happened here.” The something appears to have started happening
17 million years ago, geologists concluded in a study in the journal Science on
Friday. If correct, this is at least 11 million years earlier than previous
estimates.
Interesting. I
would have said, “Something WONDERFUL happened here.”
Largest Optical Telescope Now Operating
TUCSON, Ariz.
(AP) - The world's most powerful optical telescope is now operating on
southeastern Arizona's Mount Graham, capturing striking images of objects
millions of light years away.
Rookie robot joins shuttle crew
Space shuttle
Endeavour is scheduled to blast off Tuesday carrying seven astronauts and an
eighth passenger that is in some ways superior: a robot that will take the
astronauts' place for many jobs in outer space.
Space Shuttle Endeavour to Launch Tonight
CAPE CANAVERAL,
Fla. — NASA's space shuttle Endeavour is on track to light the predawn Florida
sky ablaze early Tuesday as it rockets toward the International Space Station (ISS)
with seven astronauts on board.
Rarely Seen Shuttle Pre-Flight Activities
It’s not from
tonight’s launch, but these photos are fantastic.
Once-Habitable Lake Found on Mars
A lake that might
once have been habitable may have filled a crater for a long time on early Mars,
new spacecraft images reveal.
Saturn Moon Rhea May Have Rings
PASADENA, Calif.
(AP) - New observations by a spacecraft suggest Saturn's second-largest moon may
be surrounded by rings. If confirmed, it would the first time a ring system has
been found around a moon.
Nearest star system might harbor Earth twin
Earth may have a
twin orbiting one of our nearest stellar neighbors, a new study finds. Computer
simulations of planet formation show that terrestrial planets are likely to have
formed around one of the stars in the Alpha Centauri star system, our closest
stellar neighbors.
Real Death Star Could Strike Earth
A beautiful
pinwheel in space might one day blast Earth with death rays, scientists now
report. Unlike the moon-sized Death Star from Star Wars, which has to get close
to a planet to blast it, this blazing spiral has the potential to burn worlds
from thousands of light-years away.
Gauging Age of Universe Becomes More Precise
Two additional
years of data from a NASA satellite have narrowed the uncertainty in the age of
the universe by tens of millions of years.
Environment
UN: Climate danger for Middle East, North Africa
Climate change is
likely to cause agricultural losses in the Middle East and North Africa,
threatening the food security of many countries, the UN has warned.
Climate change may spark conflict with Russia, EU told
European
governments have been told to plan for an era of conflict over energy resources,
with global warming likely to trigger a dangerous contest between Russia and the
west for the vast mineral riches of the Arctic.
Warm winter curbs German CO2 pollution in 2007
FRANKFURT
(Reuters) - A warm winter cut demand for heating oil and gas sending German
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2007 down by 2.7 percent to almost 857 million
tons, the federal environment agency UBA said on Monday. But it warned that the
fall in pollution was no reason to lower the guard against climate-changing CO2
pollution.
Glaciers atop Great Lakes mountains shrinking rapidly
Nairobi -
Glacier's atop one of Africa's tallest mountains are melting at an alarming rate
and are likely to disappear in the next 30 years, the World Wide Fund For Nature
(WWF) said Monday.
Colourful idea sparks renewable electricity from paint
Dr Dave Worsley
(pictured), a Reader in the Materials Research Centre at the University's School
of Engineering, is investigating ways of painting solar cells onto the flexible
steel surfaces commonly used for cladding buildings.
Nissan Goes Green in New US Headquarters
FRANKLIN, Tenn.
(AP) - Nissan wants to talk about more than a way to drive at its
soon-to-be-finished Americas headquarters. The Japanese automaker is showing off
"green" features of the $100 million project as a kind of image signpost for car
and truck buyers increasingly focused on environmental...
Greener Cell Power Presents Challenges
KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) - When wireless industry technicians speak of "green" cell towers these
days, they're not just talking about making them look more like trees. They're
talking about towers powered by wind turbines or solar panels, antennas that get
backup energy from hydrogen fuel cells and...
Engineering a Tough Switch: Getting New Yorkers to Recycle Electronics
As Mayor Michael
Bloomberg considers a bill requiring electronic waste recycling, many New
Yorkers have no idea where and how to dispose of unwanted cellphones and
laptops.
WWF says lack of ice causing mass death of Baltic seal pups
Stralsund,
Germany - Hundreds of seal pups are dying of cold and starvation in the Baltic,
the international conservation organization WWF said Monday.
Madagascar slows destruction of forests
PORT LOUIS
(Reuters) - The Indian Ocean
island of Madagascar has
reduced the destruction of its protected forests eight-fold as it tries to
preserve its unique wildlife and earn more from tourists, conservation officials
say. Home to hundreds of species from chameleons and lemurs to magnificent
baobab trees, the world's fourth largest island aims to keep 6 million hectares
(15 million acres), or about 10 percent of its surface area, as nature reserves.
Green Cars on Display in Geneva
GENEVA, March 10,
2008 -- Green cars were on display at the Geneva Auto Show last week, fueled by
rising oil prices and environmental concerns.
IG Looks at Delays in Polar Bear Listing
The Interior
Department's inspector general has begun a preliminary investigation into why
the department has delayed for nearly two months a decision on listing the polar
bear as threatened because of the loss of Arctic sea ice.
Hiding hippos survive war
Rare pygmy hippos
are surviving hidden in Liberia’s forests against all the odds, despite two
civil wars that have ravaged their habitat, scientists said Monday.
Japan denies vote-buying on whaling
TOKYO (AFP) -
Japan on Monday denied paying for delegates of small states to attend
international whaling negotiations after the premier of the Solomon Islands said
he received an offer from Tokyo.
Tourism boom darkens Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake
SUN MOON LAKE,
Taiwan (Reuters) - Sun Moon Lake has been compared to a classical Chinese
landscape painting with its crystal waters reflecting surrounding snow-capped
mountains. But a hotel building boom around the mountain resort in central
Taiwan
has locals and environmentalists worried the unspoilt beauty of the lake, which
draws 3 million tourists a year, might be ruined.
AP probe finds drugs in drinking water
A vast array of
pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and
sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41
million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.
